ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 8 April) — Zamboanga City has been declared to be under a “state of calamity” due to the oil crisis brought about by the war in the Middle East.
During its regular session held on Wednesday, the city council concurred with Resolution No. KHYM 10 of the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (ZCDRRMC) “declaring a state of calamity in the city of Zamboanga due to an imminent disaster brought about by the oil crisis arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.”
The declaration is expected to enable the local government to mobilize resources, implement price control measures, and expedite interventions to address the impact of the fuel shortage on residents and essential services.
“While this is not a traditional natural disaster, [the conflict’s] effects on fuel supply, prices, transportation, and basic goods can significantly impact our constituents, especially the most vulnerable sectors,” Councilor Joel Esteban, chair of the committee on disaster and relief services, said as he expressed support for the resolution “subject to proper guidelines in the use of calamity funds.”
As fuel prices soar, particularly that of diesel, since the start of the war in Iran, businessmen here are feeling the crunch.
As of Tuesday, various gas stations here sell their diesel from ₱133 (Axcel Petroleum) to as much as ₱157.50 for Caltex.
Businessman Arthur Grino, owner of Southland Pomelos, told MindaNews in an interview that a thousand pesos of diesel fuel “used to be around 18 liters before December. Two weeks ago, it was just 8 liters plus, and today, it’s down to 7 liters.”
Griño has been traveling from his residence in Tetuan to his farm in Pamucutan, about 20 kilometers away, where he attends to his pomelo and other fruit trees. He has now reduced his trips to the farm as the cost of diesel these days has affected his operations.
“Bien pesao ya even for us na masquin paquelaya, tiene poco source of income. Makalastima el maga na marginal sector,” he added. (This is already heavy for us as however difficult, we have little source of income. How pitiful are those in the marginal sector.)
Restaurateur Vincent Paul Elago of Taverna Don Vicente shared to MindaNews: “I’m really feeling the pinch with the latest fuel price hike. It’s like a ripple effect. Transport costs are up, food prices are up. It’s like everything is linked to fuel.”
He pointed out that salaries or income from businesses have not been increasing, “so our buying power is now less.”
“I need to cut back on non-essentials, including my weekend activities, which include going to the farm and attending to our animals. I am hoping though that our government will be able to find solutions and even mere remedies to seriously address this problem and give us citizens the relief we all need today,” Elago added.
He also mentioned that the cost of LPG (liquid petroleum gas) has very much affected his kitchen and his business.
Petron Gasul’s 11kg tank now costs ₱1,653. PryceGas, on the other hand, sells its 22kg gas at ₱3,300 and the 50kg at ₱7,500.
Simon de Asis, a fish vendor in Caragasan, said his family would use diesel for their vehicle to bring the fish they could sell from Recodo. They used to deliver fish up to the main market in the pueblo (downtown) but started to deliver only up to Caragasan, which is nearer, because diesel has become costly.
“Igual lang man siempre kay jende man tamen ta compra pescao maga jente ahora kay caro ya daw. Antes, alas cinco pa lang, pacabada ya el maga pescao. Desde un semana ya, alas cuatro pa lang mucho pa el pescao, No hay ya ta compra el camaron y cangrejo. Caro daw. Naah, cosa man yo puede hace?” he complained. (It’s still the same because the people would also not buy fish because it is costly. Before, at 5 p.m., almost all of the fish would already be sold. Since last week, at 4 p.m. there are still plenty of fish. Nobody anymore buys shrimps and crabs. It’s expensive. What can I do?)
A former city councilor, Rogelio Valesco, said that the fuel price increase, especially on diesel, “is absolutely ruining everyone’s already despondent situation.”
“How can I stretch my usual ₱500 fuel budget for 10 days or so? It’s not only the drivers who are affected but all of us: students, workers, farmers, fisherfolks, patients, riders, small business operators,” Valesco said. “Simply nobody is spared,” he added.
“Present action calls for immediate fuel subsidies and prompt tax adjustments on medicines, foods and basic commodities,” Valesco added. (Frencie L. Carreon / MindaNews)
